A Brand New Start
by Ethie-chan
Summary: Cagalli Yula Athha and Athrun Zala were best friends at Archangel University. They were really close friends that were almost always together. Both did develop feelings for each other, but Athrun had to deal with his past first before confessing to Cagalli. The two of them fought in the end. She was hurt. She cut him out of her life. AxC. Please see story for the full summary )
1. Chapter 1

**A Brand New Start****  
**

_Full Summary:_

_AU, slightly OOC: Cagalli Yula Athha and Athrun Zala were best friends at Archangel University. They were really close friends that were almost always together; their friends and classmates speculated that they were more than friends. Cagalli had developed feelings for Athrun during the two years they've known each other for. She had believed that Athrun felt the same way, based on his behaviour around her. Cagalli's belief was correct; Athrun did indeed have feelings for her. However, before Athrun could confess his feelings for Cagalli, he had to deal with a past that recently returned into his life. Because of this, Athrun became cold and distant. Worried, Cagalli tried to help Athrun and support him, but Athrun kept being more cold and distant towards her. After a few months of this, Cagalli couldn't take Athrun's behaviour anymore. The two fought and in the end, Cagalli was emotionally hurt. Upset and hurt, Cagalli decided to cut Athrun out of her life. The two stopped talking for a year. Athrun disappeared from many peoples' lives. Now…a year later..Athrun came back… _

* * *

A young woman came home from a day with friends. She was perfectly content. Her life was going great. She has good future ahead of her, great friends and a loving family. It has been a year since she graduated from Archangel University. With a degree in political relations, she was ready to follow in her father's footsteps and become the next leader of ORB. This young woman was Cagalli Yula Athha, the adopted daughter of ORB's current leader, Uzumi Nara Athha. She went to her room to check her e-mail to see if there was anything important that she needed to read. She remembered an old e-mail account that she once had and thought she should check it, just in case some of her friends forgot she had changed her e-mail address. She knew that something was telling her to check that old account. After signing in and taking a quick glance at her inbox, Cagalli gasped. In her inbox, was an e-mail from her ex-friend: Athrun Zala. She didn't know what to do. She wasn't sure if she should read the e-mail from him. It had been one whole year since the two stopped talking to one another. She remembered the pain she felt after he said those harsh words to her. All she did back then was be there for him. She was a good friend to him. Even though she loved him, she still remained a true, loyal friend to him. She once took a chance and confessed her feelings to him, believing that he felt the same. He didn't reciprocate, but she was certain that he had feelings for her. Even after that failed confession, their relationship never changed. Cagalli never understood what changed the Athrun she once knew. After a few minutes of dwelling in the past, Cagalli decided to just read it. It didn't matter what it said to her. Athrun was nothing to her now; he was just a thing of the past. Her life was going the way she wanted. She opened it and slowly read the message:

_Cagalli,_

_I want to apologize for what happened between us last year. I was the biggest ass ever. You did so much for me and I blew you off. I really hope we can be friends again and start over. I'm sorry for the drama and I'm sorry for blaming you. It was never your fault. It was my own selfish self…I'm the one to blame. I really want to make amends. If it's alright with you, would you like to go for lunch together and hang out? I'll buy._

_Athrun._

Tears slowly streamed down her cheeks. She didn't understand why she was crying. All the hate she had for Athrun disappeared. She didn't know what she was feeling. It was a mixture of surprise, sadness and happiness. Cagalli was still doubtful about Athrun's apology, but she couldn't help but feel happy to see an apology from him after all this time.

"Cagalli!" a familiar voice called from downstairs.

Her twin brother's voice distracted her from the e-mail.

"I-I'm in my..my room, Kira," Cagalli managed to say in between sobs.

Kira didn't like the sound of Cagalli's voice. He immediately went upstairs to her room and let himself in.

"Cagalli, what's wrong?" Kira asked as he went to comfort his sister.

"This…" Cagalli said as she pointed to Athrun's message on her screen, "it's from..it's from Athrun…"

"Seriously?" Kira said with a hint of anger, "if he says any more things that hurt you, I will really give him a piece of my mind. He's got some nerve contacting you again after what had happened."

Cagalli shook her head. "No, Kira…Athrun..Athrun actually apologized…this whole time, I thought it was all my fault. I had learned to accept it over the last year. I got over him; I forgot about him. But I…I didn't expect him to contact me again and actually apologizing…"

Cagalli let her tears continue to fall as Kira read through the e-mail Athrun had sent to her.

"Wow…now that sounds like the Athrun I used to know," Kira said, "but what happened? I haven't really spoken to him ever since he hurt you…Never really forgave him."

"I don't know either, Kira," Cagalli said, "but…this apology…is it real? Can I really believe that he means that? I really don't know…"

"I don't know either, Cagalli," Kira said, "it's really hard to say. Of course, I'm in no position to tell you what to do…it's up to you."

"You're really no help Kira," Cagalli said and laughed.

"Well, what do you want to do, Cagalli?" Kira asked.

Cagalli thought about it. Did she want to associate with the person who hurt her so deeply again? Deep down, she still wanted to know why. She wanted to know why this happened. What happened to the Athrun she thought she knew? And most importantly…she wanted to see him again. She wanted to see the Athrun she once knew because after all…she still loved him.

"I am doubtful about his apology," Cagalli said, " but…I will accept it. I can forgive him, but I cannot forget the hurt he inflicted. Besides, why not see where this goes? Of course, I won't be opening up to him again like I did once before. I'll be keeping my guard up."

"Well…" Kira said slowly, "I hope you'll be okay. But remember, your big brother will be here for you when you need it. If you need someone to kick that guy's ass, don't hesitate to call me."

Cagalli raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? I'm the older one here. And I can kick his ass myself"

Kira laughed. "That is true, but I'm still the older one."

Cagalli glared at him and punched him lightly on the arm. "Besides, don't you want to know why Athrun changed so suddenly? Don't you want to know why your best friend disappeared from your life?"

Kira thought about it for a moment. "As a matter of fact, I do. I still don't understand all this and what had happened. I swear he had feelings for you too."

Cagalli's heart skipped a beat and she felt happy that even her own brother believed Athrun had feelings for her, but then she felt her heart plummet. She remembered the hurt from a year ago. She looked down. Kira noticed a sudden change in the atmosphere between the two of them.

"Ah, I'm sorry Cagalli!" Kira apologized quickly, "I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay, Kira," Cagalli said and looked at him, smiling, "I'm okay."

Kira pulled his sister into an embrace. "I'll always be here for you. We're practically family."

Cagalli nodded and hugged her brother back. Her stomach rumbled in response and she blushed in embarrassment.

Kira laughed and released his sister.

"Looks like someone is getting hungry. I'll go to the kitchen and have the kitchen staff prepare us dinner. Lord Uzu—I mean, father, will be back soon," Kira said, "I'm still not used to calling Lord Uzumi 'father'…"

Cagalli laughed. It had been 3 years since her father took her brother in. Kira had lost his parents in a car accident in Heliopolis. It had been tough on the young man, but he managed to pull through. It was a huge shock to have found out that Athrun's best friend was her twin brother.

"Sounds good, Kira," Cagalli replied, "I'll finish this e-mail and meet you in the dining hall after."

Kira nodded and left his sister's room. Cagalli went back to her chair and sat pondering about what to write in response. After a moment of thought, she began typing.

_Athrun,_

_First of all, sorry for the late response. I've been busy finishing my degree and stuff. Second of all, I don't really use this account anymore. And finally, I'm quite surprised to see an e-mail from you. It seems this apology is authentic, but you never know…you might go back to being your old, cold self again. I don't really know if I should accept your apology…but for now, you __**might**__ be forgiven. _

_Cagalli _

Cagalli re-read her e-mail. She couldn't help but add a little coldness to her e-mail. After all, this was the man that crushed her. She couldn't afford to lose again, not after all the work she put into forgetting that guy and moving on and becoming stronger then before. She was happy now. That was the important thing. Satisfied with the message, she hit "send", put her laptop on standby and went downstairs to join Kira, and possibly her father, for dinner.

After dinner, Cagalli went back to her room to look at her notes and books her father had loaned her on political relations and the world. However, her mind couldn't focus on the task at hand. She was really curious to see if Athrun had replied back. Part of her doubted he would respond right away. He wasn't the same person anymore. And even if he responded, it might be cold and hurtful. But another part of her was hopeful. She went to her laptop and "woke" it up from standby. A notification window popped up saying that she had a new e-mail. Her heart skipped a beat. Cagalli opened her inbox and she felt her heart jump in delight. There, sitting in her inbox, was a message from Athrun. She smiled, but then quickly frowned.

"_Get it together Cagalli!"_ she screamed at herself, _"remember what he did to you. You shouldn't be happy to receive a message from him!"_

But no matter how many times she scolded herself, she knew what her true feelings were. Cagalli took a deep breath and opened the e-mail. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise as she read his message.

_Cagalli,_

_I had a feeling you were ignoring me too. But that's okay, I deserved it…I thought I knew what I was doing, but in the end, ruined a lot of things in the process. But let's not dwell in the past and relive the drama. I really am sorry for everything and I really do hope you'll forgive me. Come on, let's meet up and hang out like we used to?_

Athrun

Cagalli thought for a moment and began typing. She re-read her message and sent it. One minute later, Athrun responded back. For the next few hours, they exchanged e-mails. Cagalli eventually decided to retire for the night as it was close to two in the morning. She had no idea she was conversing with Athrun for this long. It almost felt like old times. Cagalli decided it was okay to give him her new number and e-mail address. She sent one final e-mail to Athrun telling him to text her or to reply back to the e-mail address she currently uses. Two minutes after sending the final e-mail, her phone beeped. Cagalli couldn't help but smile as she knew who it was. She sat on her bed and grabbed her phone from her bed stand to read the text.

_Hey, it's Athrun. I had a feeling you changed numbers…_

Cagalli laughed. "Well, you did deserve it."

She texted him back and before she knew it, they continued texting each other for the next 2 hours. At 4 AM, Cagalli decided to call it a night. It was really late and she was really tired. She had a big day ahead of her as she had agreed to meeting Athrun in the afternoon for lunch that day. She sighed as she lay in her bed, thinking.

"_Stupid Cagalli!" _she screamed at herself, _"you let him do it again! Better be on guard when you see him later, got that?"_

She mentally reminded herself to be on guard multiple times before she finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well how was it? I actually got the idea to write this fic after something similar to this storyline happened in my life 3-4 years ago. There is a difference between this fanfic and what happened in my life: I fell in love with someone else =) I know I should be working on my Christmas fic that I started last year…but I promise, the next part is almost ready to be uploaded! So, keep checking =) You'll like the next installment I came up with for that fic. Until then, read and review!

And also…if you all don't mind, let's keep the AsuCaga flame alive okay? It seems it's not as bright as it once was before…and with the new GS Destiny remastered out, I feel that we gotta keep the flame burning more than ever now =D So please, if you all get the chance, please visit my fansite/shrine that's dedicated to them and also, join the fanlisting? Thanks! 3 If I get more members, I'll have the final part posted to this new fic faster, as well as the third part to the xmas fic =) Go to my profile for the link 3


	2. Chapter 2

**A Brand New Start (Part 2)**

A young man was pacing back and forth in the living room of his home. This young man was Athrun Zala. After a difficult year, he finally has his life back to normal. He has a lot of work ahead of him, especially getting his friends back. Athrun was feeling nervous, yet excited that he was finally going to see the woman he loves after everything that has happened. He wanted Cagalli to be the first one to see him. He was debating if he should confess to her and explain why this all happened, but another part of him doubts she'll believe him.

"_Cagalli…" _Athrun thought_, "if this all didn't happen, we could be happy right now…"_

While Athrun was lost in his worries, his mother, Lenore Zala, came into the living room. Upon seeing his son's sad and troubled expression, she shook her head.

"Athrun dear," his mother said, "you're going to create a deep crater in this room if you keep going on like that."

His mother's voice brought Athrun back to reality. "Sorry mother…it's just…"

Lenore smiled. She knew what was bothering the young man. It had been a difficult ordeal for him and his family. She went up to Athrun and pulled him into a hug.

"I know, I know," she said, "you're worried about what she'll say when she sees you."

"It's not just that," Athrun said as he released his mother, "I know she hates me for what I did to her. Cagalli even went as far as changing her number and e-mail address…she definitely didn't want anything to do with me…"

Lenore looked at her son. She could tell that he was trying to hold back his tears.

"But you two had a nice conversation the other day right?" Lenore asked, "and she agreed to meet you. There's nothing to worry about."

"I guess…" Athrun responded hesitantly, "but still…"

"I'm sure everything will be fine once you explain everything to her," Lenore said reassuringly to her son, "It was just a misunderstanding. You love her, don't you?"

Athrun nodded. His mother could tell how much her son cared and loved this young woman. It was written all over his face. Lenore was quite fond of Cagalli as well. She could see how happy Athrun was whenever he was with her. It was sad that the two had to end their friendship in a bad way.

"It will be fine, Athrun," his mother said again, "come now, let's have some breakfast . I'll pour you a nice cup of tea to calm your nerves."

"Thanks mother," Athrun said as he followed his mother to the dining room.

* * *

Cagalli sat on a bench in ORB central park. Athrun and her had decided to meet there before going for lunch. She felt nervous, but happy at the same time. She also felt scared; she was scared of Athrun getting mad at her again. She was scared of getting hurt again.

"_Everything will be fine, Cagalli," _she reminded herself, _"it's okay. You're stronger now. Who cares what happens between you two. You're not the weak Cagalli anymore."_

Cagalli's phone beeped. She was scared that it may be Athrun bailing on her, like he did last year. She hesitantly opened her text message and sighed with relief. It was just a text from her good friend, Lacus Clyne. Cagalli smiled as she read the text.

" _Whatever happens, Cagalli, don't jump to conclusions or let your emotions get the better of you. Everything will be fine =)_ _Just enjoy yourself."_

"Easy for you to say Lacus…" Cagalli muttered, "you sound like you can predict the future or something…"

She texted her friend back and continued to wait for Athrun. She sighed.

"He probably bailed again," Cagalli said bitterly, "he's still the same, that idiot."

"Who's this idiot?" a voice asked suddenly, causing Cagalli to jump off the bench.

She turned around and saw Athrun, standing behind the bench. Cagalli glared at him.

"Thanks for giving me a heart attack," Cagalli said angrily.

"Sorry," Athrun said, "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Whatever," Cagalli said coldly.

Athrun flinched. He expected her to be cold to him, but he didn't think it would affect him this much. He has a lot of work to do if he wanted to win Cagalli back. He took a quick glance at Cagalli and noticed her outfit. It was definitely something different and it was his first time seeing her dressed like that.

"So…you look good today," Athrun said and smiled. _"More like hot...wow."_

Cagalli looked down at her outfit. She was wearing a pair of white denim shorts with a black halter-top and a pair of black sandals. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun with a red hibiscus flower holding it together.

"Thanks," Cagalli said uninterestedly as she casually glanced at Athrun, "you're not so bad yourself."

"_Ouch…" _Athrun said to himself, _"don't let this discourage you. This is what you expected. Keep trying!"_

"Umm…you hungry?" Athrun asked.

"I'm okay." Cagalli responded nonchalantly.

Her stomach growled in protest. Cagalli blushed as Athrun looked at her, amusement evident on his face.

"Fine," Cagalli answered, "I'm starving. I didn't really eat anything at all today…"

Athrun looked at her concerned. "You know you shouldn't starve yourself…"

"I know…it's just…" Cagalli stopped herself from continuing her sentence. She remembered that she should be cold to him, "I mean, why should you care?"

Athrun tried his best not to let Cagalli's cold attitude affect him. He simply smiled and grabbed her hand.

"Come on," Athrun said as he pulled her, "let's go for lunch. I know the perfect place for us to go."

"W-wait a minute!" Cagalli yelled, blushing lightly from their contact. She tried to free her hand from his grasp, but to no avail, "A-Athrun!"

Athrun chuckled and continued pulling Cagalli along. Cagalli eventually gave up trying to free herself from his grasp and just allowed Athrun to guide them to their destination.

"_He definitely got stronger…"_ she thought to herself and sighed.

Athrun turned around and looked at Cagalli. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Cagalli said, "where are we going anyways?"

"You'll see," Athrun said and smiled.

* * *

After 10 minutes, the two arrived at their destination. Cagalli glanced up at the restaurant.

"Donair a la Grille," Cagalli read aloud. She was surprised Athrun had brought her there.

Athrun smiled. "Yeah, this is where we're going to have lunch."

"You…remembered what my favorite food is…" Cagalli said, surprise evident in her voice.

Athrun looked at her, confusion in his eyes. "Yeah, obviously. How can I forget?"

"It's just…nevermind," Cagalli said and headed into the restaurant.

Athrun chuckled to himself and followed Cagalli into the restaurant.

"_Looks like I scored myself a point," _Athrun thought to himself and smiled.

The two of them placed their orders at the front and proceeded to a table to wait for their food. They sat across from each other. An awkward silence followed.

Athrun sighed silently to himself. _"This silence is rather awkward…before, we used to talk all the time…now look at us…"_

He glanced at Cagalli, who was resting her elbow on the back of the chair and looking away from him. She clearly looked uninterested in being here with him. However, he did not let that discourage him.

He decided to break the silence first. "So…how have you been? I remember you were studying political relations back at the university."

Cagalli turned to look at him.

"I've been alright. Finished my degree and everything," Cagalli replied uninterestingly, "you? You finish your double major in mechanical engineering and political relations?"

"Yeah," Athrun replied, trying not to let Cagalli's indifference affect him, "I don't know why I did a double major…I don't even like politics…"

"It's because your father wanted you to go into politics, but your real interest lies in mechanical engineering," Cagalli replied, "so you decided to do both so you and your father can be happy."

"You remembered," Athrun said, "I'm glad you didn't forget about me completely."

"Don't get too full of youself, Athrun Zala," Cagalli countered, "I merely remembered that, that's all."

Athrun couldn't help but smile. He was glad she didn't forget him completely.

"But you should have focused on mechanical engineering and did what made **you** happy, Athrun," Cagalli said.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Athrun replied.

He knew he should have done what made him happy. He didn't regret the schooling he went through, but he did regret his past decisions and how it affected his current relationship with Cagalli.

"Oh look!" Cagalli said excitedly, "the food's here!"

Athrun could feel that the tension between them had lightened up a bit. He hoped that Cagalli will be in a better mood once she eats her favourite food. The two of them had ordered the same combo meal, except Cagalli had beef and Athrun had lamb. He watched as Cagalli drizzled some hot sauce onto her beef donair. She folded it in half, raised it to her mouth and took a bite.

"Mmm…de-lish!" Cagalli said after swallowing her first bite.

Athrun continued watching Cagalli as she continued eating her lunch. He found her very cute while eating. Cagalli felt Athrun's stare and stopped eating for a moment.

"What's the matter?" Cagalli asked after taking a sip of her juice, "not hungry?"

"Nothing's wrong," Athrun replied as he reached for the hot sauce.

Cagalli raised an eyebrow. "Hot sauce Athrun?"

"Yeah," he replied as he drizzled some hot sauce on his donair, "remember how you first introduced me to using hot sauce on donairs?"

Cagalli laughed. "How could I forget? The look on your face was priceless!"

Athrun frowned. "Well, you did put a little too much hot sauce on there…"

"Well, you put so little that I had to add more on there for you," Cagalli said, "otherwise, you wouldn't have tasted it at its best."

"Wasn't really worth it when I couldn't taste anything other than the hot sauce," Athrun stated and laughed, "but hot sauce does make donairs taste better. Well…when there's a reasonable amount on it."

Cagalli laughed. Athrun smiled. It was the first time today he has seen her laughing and it made him feel relieved. He could feel that the tension between them was slowly dissipating. The wall Cagalli had put up was slowly disappearing. The two of them continued talking and eating their meals. Anyone in the restaurant could see how much the two of them enjoyed the others' company.

* * *

After lunch, Athrun and Cagalli decided to take a walk through downtown ORB. Cagalli told him that she had to pick up something for Kira and Athrun agreed to accompany her. He wanted to spend more time with her anyways; he was surprised that Cagalli was okay with hanging out with him longer too. Athrun had thought that it would take a lot more effort to extend his time with her, but was really happy with how things are going right now. Cagalli hasn't been cold to him since their lunch date.

"Okay, here we are," Cagalli said.

Athrun looked up and noticed that they were in front of a jewellery store. He followed Cagalli inside and were immediately greeted by a sales associate.

"Lady Cagalli!" the woman said, smiling, "what brings you into town today?"

Cagalli cringed slightly. She did not like it when people called her "Lady Cagalli" or "princess". But she had no choice but to accept it. No matter how many times she tells others to stop calling her that, they still do. Athrun knew how much Cagalli disliked being treated so formally.

"I'm here to pick up something for my brother," Cagalli replied politely.

"Oh, that's right! Master Kira called to let me know that you'd be here in his place," the woman said, "I'll be right back."

The woman bowed and went into another room in the store. Athrun chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Cagalli asked, looking at her blue-haired companion curiously.

"It's nothing," Athrun replied and laughed again, "I was just thinking of how Kira is adapting to his new role. Master Kira…"

"He's still not used to it," Cagalli replied and laughed.

The sales associate returned and handed Cagalli a small gift bag.

"Thank you," Cagalli said and smiled.

"Not at all, Lady Cagalli," the woman replied, "I do hope she'll like it. Give my regards to Master Kira."

"I'm sure she will," Cagalli said, "and I will."

Athrun and Cagalli left the jewellery store and headed towards the central fountain in downtown ORB. He glanced at the bag she held, curious as to what was inside.

Cagalli sensed Athrun's curiosity and laughed lightly.

"What are you laughing about?" Athrun asked.

"Nothing," Cagalli replied, smiling.

Athrun frowned. "Fine, if you won't tell me, then I'll have to tickle you to find out."

Cagalli's eyes opened wide. "You wouldn't…"

But before Cagalli could finish, Athrun already had his hands on her waist, tickling her sides mercilessly.

"A…Athrun…stop," Cagalli said in between laughs, "that's…that's not…fair!...A-Athrun…"

He was clearly enjoying this. He knew where Cagalli was ticklish the most. It brought back fond memories of them together before they stopped being friends.

"Well…?" Athrun asked, "I'll stop if you tell me."

"F-fine! I…give…I'll…I'll tell you," Cagalli managed to say in between laughs.

Athrun stopped and released his grasp on her. Cagalli wiped the tears from eyes. She hasn't laughed that hard in a while.

"Geez…only you would know my weak spot," Cagalli said, "but anyways, if you must know, this gift is for Lacus."

"Oh I see," Athrun said, "do you know what it is?"

Cagalli shook her head. "No, but I think it's something for their second year anniversary."

"That's cool," Athrun said. _"Kira, you're so lucky…if only I hadn't messed up with Cagalli…"_

"So what do you want to do next?" Cagalli asked.

"W-what did you say?" Athrun asked. _"Did I just hear this right? It sounds like Cagalli wants to prolong our time together. Yes!"_

"I said," Cagalli said slowly, "what…do…you…want…to…do…next?"

Athrun laughed. "Geez Cagalli, I'm not that hard of hearing."

"Really?" Cagalli teased, "sometimes I wonder."

Athrun laughed again. "Well, I was thinking we could go to the amusement park. It's pretty close by. What do you think?"

"Well, I think…" Cagalli said slowly.

"Come on Cagalli, don't do that…" Athrun said.

"Raceyoutothemainentrance!" Cagalli said quickly and ran off.

Athrun looked ahead at Cagalli's retreating figure and smiled. He was glad things were working out well right now. He felt that he may be able to confess his true feelings for her and explain why he did what he did sooner than he thought.

"I won't lose that easily!" Athrun shouted and began running after Cagalli.

* * *

Author's note: And…that's it! Sorry for the delay in the next chapter. I had writer's block…and I was busy with work and other offline things. What do you all think? It seems Athrun and Cagalli are fine right now; Cagalli isn't giving him any more of the cold shoulder. They are pretty much back to the way they were. So what's Athrun going to do next? Tell her, or wait it out? How will Cagalli feel when he reveals the truth? This chapter may be edited again though. Anyways, find out in the next and final chapter to this short fic =)


	3. Chapter 3

**A Brand New Start (Part 3)**

Cagalli stood at the entrance of the amusement park. She had expected more of a challenge, but given the head start she had given herself, she knew Athrun wouldn't be able to catch up right away. As she was waiting for him, she couldn't help but wonder why she was being so nice to Athrun after their lunch date. She knew that the wall she had built against him was slowly disappearing. The cold, uncaring attitude she had for him was also slowly fading away.

"_What's wrong with me?"_ Cagalli asked herself, _"why am I being so nice to a guy that hurt me so significantly?"_

She shook her head, trying to clear her mind.

"Hey Cagalli?" a concerned voice asked in front of her, "you alright?"

Cagalli opened her eyes and met a pair of emerald orbs that were staring intently at her. Her cheeks flushed as she realized how close his face was to hers. Her heart raced inside her chest and she was sure Athrun could hear it. Cagalli quickly regained her composure and pulled herself away from him.

"Y-yeah," Cagalli managed to reply, "I'm alright. What took you so long anyways?"

"You had a huge head start," Athrun said.

"Excuses, excuses," Cagalli teased, "come on, let's go on in."

Athrun nodded and followed Cagalli to the ticket booth. They were greeted by a young man with light brown hair.

"Ah, Lady Cagalli!" he greeted, "welcome to Pearl Land! Please, go on inside. Your guest can go in as well."

Cagalli looked at the young man, thinking he was crazy letting her and Athrun inside for free. The young man laughed.

"It's quite alright, Lady Cagalli," he said as he handed them their admission bracelets, "it's the least we can do. Without Lord Uzumi's help, Pearl land wouldn't even be here."

"Oh I see. Well, thank you," Cagalli said and smiled.

"Thank you," Athrun said.

They both put on their admission bracelets and entered the amusement park.

"You two have fun now!" the young man shouted.

* * *

Athrun and Cagalli looked at the giant map in the park, deciding where to go first.

"There's so many rides here," Cagalli said in awe, "and there are a lot of game stalls too."

"I know…" Athrun said, "what do you want to do? Go on some rides, or play some games?"

Cagalli continued looking at the map and her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Let's go on a few rides first. Come on!"

Cagalli ran off, making Athrun run after her. They soon stood in line for a ride called "Hell's Gate". It was a ride where passengers would rise slowly into the air in a boat-shaped apparatus, then randomly swing down and spin down towards the water geysers or randomly spin as the ride rose back up into the air. Athrun watched as the current occupants screamed in fear and excitement as the ride moved and spun as it went up and down. He gulped.

"_Trust Cagalli to pick a ride like this…" _he thought to himself.

"This is going to be awesome," Cagalli said excitedly.

"Y-yeah, it sure will be," Athrun said as calmly as he could, trying to hide his fear.

He looked at Cagalli. She looked really happy and his eyes softened. He loved it when she was happy. If she was happy, he was happy. He knew what he had to do and that was to accompany her on whatever ride she chooses. He cannot disappoint her, never again. When it was their turn to enter the ride, Athrun took a deep breath and followed Cagalli to the middle row and sat down right next to her. They buckled their seatbelts and pulled the "life jacket" down over their heads, securing them safely to the seat. The buzzer rang, signalling the start of the ride. Athrun felt his calm demeanor being replaced with fear as the ride slowly took them high into the air. He gripped the handles of his "life jacket" tightly, preparing for the sudden drop and rotation down towards the water geysers. The ride paused for a bit and then swung down, slowly rotating its occupants at the same time. Athrun closed his eyes, as he suppressed the urge to scream and freak out.

"YEAH! WHOOO!" Cagalli shouted.

Athrun could hear Cagalli's excitement. He was happy Cagalli was enjoying herself. He continued keeping his eyes shut, while mentally telling himself to not scream as the ride spun back upwards.

"Athrun," Cagalli said as she nudged him, "open your eyes. This ride is safe; it's not going to drop us to the ground. It's a lot of fun!"

"_Easy for you to say…"_ he thought to himself, _"I know it's safe, but how can you not be scared for your life on a ride like this?"_

Athrun slowly opened his eyes. It was a big mistake. He gripped the "life jacket" handles as the ride plunged them towards the geyers, head first. His eyes widened in horror as he watched himself plunge towards the park grounds. He tried his hardest not to scream. Just before the ride reached the geysers, it swung them upwards slightly, allowing their feet to graze through the water geysers. The little boat they were on was slowly swinging back and forth as it descended back down towards the ground. Once the ride stopped, everyone slowly began to get off.

"That was quite the ride," Cagalli said excitedly as she unbuckled the seatbelt and freed herself from the "life jacket".

Athrun just nodded. He was still shaken up from the last part of the ride. His hands were still holding onto the "life jacket", as if it was the only thing keeping him alive right now. Cagalli glanced at him when she noticed he wasn't moving.

"Hey…Athrun?" Cagalli asked as she shook him lightly, "are you okay?"

Athrun snapped out of the trance he was in and noticed how close Cagalli's face was to him. His cheeks flushed from their closeness. He was also embarrassed as he was the last to move. He unbuckled his seatbelt and freed himself from the "life jacket". He took a deep breath and stood up, trying his best to hide the emotion he felt while he was on that ride.

"Well, that was something," Athrun said as he and Cagalli left the "Hell's Gate" area.

"Your face looked so hilarious during the climatic part of the ride," Cagalli said and laughed, "it was something like this."

She recreated Athrun's expression during the last part of the ride. Athrun looked down, embarrassed, and Cagalli smiled.

"Aww…don't be like that Athrun," Cagalli said, while patting his head, "it was also cute."

Athrun looked up. He's never heard Cagalli use the word "cute" before, being the tomboy she is.

"Cute eh?" he asked, a small smirk forming on his face.

Cagalli blushed lightly. She cursed herself for letting that word slip out. "I-I didn't say anything like that! Let's go on another ride."

The two went on many different rides. They went on the Corkscrew, the Hellevator, the Atmosfear, the Crazy Beach Party…all rides that Cagalli chose. By the time they got off the Revelation, Athrun was done. He couldn't take anymore. Even though he was enjoying spending time with Cagalli, his body couldn't handle anymore "excitement" or fear. He swore that if he rode anymore rides like that, his body would burst from all that adrenaline pumping through his body.

"That was some ride!" Cagalli said excitedly, "I wouldn't mind going on that one again!"

The colour remaining in Athrun's face disappeared. He needed a break from these thrill rides. He suddenly heard Cagalli gasp.

"What?" Athrun asked concerned, "what's the matter?"

He followed Cagalli's gaze and he gulped. The Drop Zone. This is the next ride Cagalli and him will go on. Athrun stood there, rooted to the ground, as Cagalli went ahead. When Cagalli noticed that Athrun wasn't behind her, she went back to get him.

"Come on," Cagalli said, while unconsciously grabbing his hand, "let's go. After this, I want a snack. All this excitement has made me hungry."

They stood in line, waiting for their turn. Athrun glanced up at the ride. It wasn't really a ride; it was more like a place where one could bungee jump. The only difference was that you fly back and forth for a bit. It was pretty high. He noticed that you could ride this in pairs. This brought some comfort to him.

"_Alright Athrun," _he told himself, _"just one more ride and then you can take a break. Just hang in there."_

"Want to ride this one together?" Cagalli asked.

"Sure," Athrun replied. _"The faster we do this, the faster we'll be done."_

When it was their turn, they suited up and made their way to the top of the drop. The ride attendants ensured they were secured to the cables and gave Athrun and Cagalli the "thumbs up". Cagalli held out her hand. Athrun looked at her.

"It's going to be alright," she said and smiled.

Athrun nodded and entwined his fingers around hers. He took a deep breath.

"On three?" Athrun asked and Cagalli nodded. "One…Two…Three!"

Together, they jumped off the platform and hurled themselves into the air. Athrun held onto Cagalli's hand tightly, unwilling to let her go. They pulled their rip-cords just before they neared the park grounds and they soared back up, hurling themselves towards the opposite side of the platform.

"Yeah! Wooo!" Athrun and Cagalli shouted.

Athrun had to admit, this ride wasn't so bad. The initial drop was scary, but with Cagalli holding his hand, he forgot all the fear he had before stepping onto the platform. He was, for the first time during the time they were at the amusement park, enjoying himself. He wasn't paralyzed with fear or anything. They continued flying back and forth, screaming in joy and excitement. They gradually slowed down and were able to land back onto the ground. The ride attendants removed the cords and Athrun and Cagalli removed their jumpsuits. They began to proceed towards the food stalls.

"That was awesome!" Athrun said, "it was such a great feeling, to be able to fly like that."

Cagalli smiled. "Glad you weren't as scared as you were on the previous rides."

"That's because I had you with me," Athrun said.

Cagalli blushed. "I-I was also with you on t-the other rides!"

"True," Athrun stated, "but, this last ride was different."

Cagalli realized what Athrun meant. She remembered holding his hand as they jumped off the platform. She had to admit, it felt right holding his hand and she liked it.

"I was just merely doing that to reassure you," Cagalli stated.

Athrun just looked at her, smiling. Cagalli felt uncomfortable as he stared at her like that. And the longer his eyes lingered on her, the more her face began to heat up.

"S-stop looking at me like that," Cagalli said, annoyed, "you wouldn't have jumped if I hadn't done that!"

Athrun laughed.

"What's so funny?" Cagalli asked, anger slightly present in her voice.

"You," Athrun replied as he recomposed himself, "what do you want to eat?"

Cagalli glared at her companion, but later smiled. They perused the various food stalls available at the park. Eventually, they decided on hot dogs. Once they finished their snack, Cagalli got some cotton candy to share amongst themselves while they walk through the games area. They decided to play some games (and give Athrun a break from those thrill rides). As they walked through the games area, Cagalli caught sight of a man with purple hair tied back as a small low, ponytail.

"Oh crap," Cagalli muttered.

"What?" Athrun asked.

Athrun followed Cagalli's gaze. He didn't understand what was going on. The man with the purple hair turned around. But before the man could see them, Cagalli had grabbed Athrun's hand and pulled him to the nearest ride: The Tunnel of Love. Once they got onto the boat, Cagalli breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at Athrun. He was looking at their entwined fingers. Cagalli blushed and quickly released his hand.

"S-sorry…" Cagalli said quietly.

Athrun frowned. He didn't want to let go of her hand. He sighed quietly and then looked at Cagalli.

"So what was that about?" Athrun asked, "who were you trying to avoid?"

Cagalli sighed. "If you must know…that man we saw…with the purple hair…he's…he's…"

Athrun looked at her, urging her to continue. Cagalli couldn't bring herself to say it. She didn't want to say it. She didn't want to acknowledge that fact. But she wanted to tell Athrun. Ever since the day she found out about her engagement, the first person she wanted to tell was Athrun. It wasn't to tell him how happy she was; she was feeling the complete opposite. She needed someone to vent to. Unfortunately, Athrun was MIA at the time.

"He's my fiancé," Cagalli said bluntly.

Athrun's eyes widened. If he had a briefcase or some grocery bags, he would have dropped them to the floor. He could feel the hurt inflicted to his heart. He couldn't believe that the woman he loved was already betrothed to another man. And to make matters worse, Cagalli never even told him!

"I-I see…" Athrun said, with a hint of sadness in his voice.

Cagalli caught the sadness in his voice. "It's not what you think Athrun!"

He looked up and saw the sincerity in her amber eyes. Despite it being dark, he was still able to see her emotions reflected in her eyes.

"Truth is, I was never engaged to him during my time at Archangel University," Cagalli explained, "I found out about the engagement after my graduation. My father revealed the news to me after my convocation. It was his "graduation gift" to me. Some gift…I would rather be forced to work in the ORB mines than to marry that moron."

"So, you never were engaged back then?" Athrun asked, some hopefulness evident in his voice.

"No," Cagalli stated, "I wanted to tell you. I really did. You were the first person I wanted to talk to about it. And no, I wasn't going to tell you how happy I was when I received the news. I was unbelievably pissed off. But…you were MIA at the time…"

Cagalli didn't want to bring up their past drama. It was still a painful and sad memory to her. She figured "MIA" was the best word to use, rather than putting the blame on him.

Athrun looked down, feeling guilty. She was right, he wasn't around at that time. Well, he was, but he wasn't with her or his friends then. He was busy trying to sort his own problems, as well as his life. Due to his selfishness, he missed out on a lot of things. He had a lot of catching up to do with everyone. Athrun put his hand over top of her hand. Cagalli looked at him. His eyes were sincere.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you then, Cagalli," Athrun apologized.

"No, it's okay, Athrun," Cagalli said and smiled, "you're here now and that's what matters."

"Cagalli…" Athrun started.

He really wanted to embrace her at that very moment. He was really happy hearing that. The boat rocked suddenly and made Cagalli fall onto Athrun. He caught her and managed to stabilize himself before they both ended up in the water. They sat there, staring at each other. His arms were still around her and her hands were on his chest. Both were blushing at their immediate physical closeness to one another. They were both lost in each others' eyes. Their hidden love for one another was evident in their gaze. Athrun slowly inched his face towards Cagalli's. Cagalli did the same. Their lips were centimeters apart when a voice rang throughout the tunnel.

"We're sorry passengers," a voice announced over the PA in the tunnel, "we're experiencing some technical difficulties with the water flow. Please be patient while we correct this."

The voice snapped them out of the trance they were in and they quickly pulled away, blushing even more.

"_Damn…" _Athrun thought, _"that was the perfect moment too…"_

"_My heart's racing," _Cagalli thought, _"any closer and I swore he would have heard it…"_

The two of them sat in silence for a while. Athrun recomposed himself first and broke the silence.

"So…I guess we're stuck here for a bit," Athrun said.

"Y-yeah…" Cagalli replied.

"So…who is this…Yuna?" Athrun asked, trying his best to hide his jealousy.

"He's the most cowardly, arrogant, spoiled, smug and ugly idiotic moron I've ever had the displeasure of meeting," Cagalli said disgustedly, "he's the son of ORB's cabinet leader Unato Ema Seiran, a man my father trusts."

"_Good to know she doesn't like him," _Athrun thought to himself.

"I can't stand that Yuna! He's so despicable and disgusting. He's totally fake. Underneath that calm and diplomatic nature, he's a total moron. I can't believe my father can't see through him," Cagalli said angrily, "I don't believe in arranged marriages or marriages for convenience. I don't want to marry someone like that! What happened to free will?"

"So this is just a marriage for political convenience?" Athrun asked.

Cagalli nodded. "My father said that it will benefit ORB. He said that ORB will need strong leadership."

Athrun frowned. Arranged marriages such as that sickened him. He wouldn't be happy if he had to spend the rest of his life with someone that he doesn't love.

"Is there no way to break off the engagement?" Athrun asked.

"There is. I managed to convince my father that if I manage to find someone that I love by the time I'm 25, I'm safe. He will call off the engagement," Cagalli said. _"And lucky for me, I already have…I just hope he feels the same way too…Athrun…"_

"I see," Athrun said, smiling. _"There's still a chance for me. Yes!"_

"But let's not continue talking about this," Cagalli said, "I'd rather not be reminded of my possible pre-determined future."

Athrun nodded. They sat there, waiting for the ride to resume again. It had been almost 20 minutes and they still haven't moved. Athrun didn't mind though; he was with Cagalli. He was about to call her name when he felt a light "thump" on his shoulder. He glanced down and found Cagalli, asleep. Athrun smiled as gently stroked her hair off her face. He had always found her beautiful, but seeing her relaxed and peaceful like that made her look even more beautiful. He bent down and kissed the top of her head.

"_I love you, Cagalli."_

* * *

**A/N**: And that's the end of chapter 3! I finally finished it. I made myself sit down and type and before I knew it, I managed to finish it. This fic was intended to be a short one, but I got all these other ideas…so now it's going to be a little longer. I was planning to reveal the reason behind Athrun's actions in the past in this chapter, but I thought I would throw in something else first. This chapter was also supposed to be short, but I made it longer (it's 8 pages long!). The rides I introduced are from the PNE (Pacific National Exhibition), an amusement park I went to before. Pearland is the name of an amusement park I went to in China as well (not sure if it's still there…). But so far, it looks like Athrun and Cagalli are having a great time together at the amusement park. Athrun learned something he didn't know and it seems they're just as close as they were before (but even closer now). Cagalli seems to have let her guard down and has pretty much forgotten the hurt. Kinda hard to stay mad at someone you love right? Anyways, hope you liked this chapter and **read and review**! Next chapter will finally reveal Athrun's reasons for his actions…and maybe…a confession of love perhaps? Oops, I may have said too much; until next time! _AsuCaga forever!_


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